The Women's Ice Hockey Bundesliga or DEBL (German: Dameneishockey-Bundesliga, lit. 'Women's Ice Hockey Federal League') is an Austrian ice hockey league. It was founded in 1998 and is organized by the Austrian Ice Hockey Association (ÖEHV). Originally established as the Austrian Championship league in women's ice hockey, the national championshup (German: Staatsmeisterschaft) has been contested in a separate tournament since the introduction of international teams to the DEBL in the 2008–09 season. Austria had 652 female players in 2013.[1]
Current season, competition or edition: 2023–24 DEBL season | |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Austrian Ice Hockey Association |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Country |
|
| Most recent champion(s) |  Villach Lady Hawks (2022–23) |
| Most titles | EHV Sabres (5) |
| Related competitions | EWHL |
| Official website | Official website  |
History edit
Founded in 1998, the league uses a format of home and away matches. In the 2004–05 season, the best Austrian teams additionally also competed in the international Elite Women's Hockey League (EWHL). From the following season onward, the top teams only played in the EWHL, making the Bundesliga in a sense the second-level league of Austrian Women's ice hockey. As a result, the title of Austrian champion is decided in a separate tournament titled Staatsmeisterschaft (National Championship), featuring the three teams that play in the EWHL and the top DEBL team. Exceptions were the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons where EWHL clubs were the only competing teams. Since 2008, following the example of the men's Austrian Hockey League, the DEBL has also featured teams from Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Turkey.[2]
Format edit
- 2017–18 season
The nine teams of the DEBL are assembled into one division. The teams play each other three times a year.
The top DEBL team qualifies for the Staatsmeisterschaft where it meets the three Austrian teams from the EWHL. The tournament uses a home- and away-game format. The two top teams contest the final, using a best-of-three format. The better-placed team has the right to contest the first game in its home ground. The other two teams contest the third-place play-off, also using a best-of-three format.[3]
Teams edit
2023–24 season edit
| Team | Location | Home venue | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angels Dunaújváros |  Dunaújváros
|
Dunaújvárosi Jégcsarnok | Zoltán Láng |
| EAC Women Capitals | Vienna
|
Steffl Arena | Jan Lebis |
| EC Graz Huskies II | Graz
|
Merkur Eisstadion | Paul Mocher |
| EC-KAC Klagenfurt | Klagenfurt
|
Klagenfurt Stadthalle | Kurt Koschart |
| Ferencvárosi TC | Budapest
|
FTC-Telekom Rink | Bernadett Holzer |
| HDK Maribor |  Maribor
|
Ledna dvorana Tabor | Rene Zernko |
| MAC Marilyn Budapest | Budapest
|
Kisstadion | Kristof Schmal |
| Rampage Veszprém | Veszprém
|
Jégcsarnok Veszprém | Máté Pukli |
| Sportunion DHC IceCats Linz AG | Linz
|
LINZ AG Eisarena | Harald Fülöp |
| Villach Lady Hawks | Villach
|
Stadthalle | Rene Lang |
Past participants edit
Austria
- EC Grazer Eishexen (Graz), 2001–2004
- EC Kitzbühel (Kitzbühel), 2012–13
- SpG Kitzbühel/Kufstein (Kitzbühel), 2015–2022
- EHC Kundl Crocodiles (Kundl), 2002–2004
- KSV Neuberg Highlanders (Neuberg an der Mürz), 2005–2013 & 2019–2021
- DEHC Red Angels Innsbruck (Innsbruck), 1998–2010
- EHV Sabres (Vienna), 1999–2005
- EHV Sabres II (Vienna), 2006–07 & 2010–2016
- EC The Ravens Salzburg (Salzburg), 2002–2005
- EHC Wildcats St. Johann (St. Johann in Tirol), 1998–2002
- WE-V Flyers II (Vienna), 2005–2008
- SpG WE-V Flyers/KSV Neuberg Highlanders, 2016–2019
Croatia
- Grič Zagreb (Zagreb), 2012–2019
Hungary
- Hokiklub Budapest II (Budapest), 2015–2023
- KMH Budapest II, 2015–2022
- KSI SE Budapest (Budapest), 2021–2023
- Óbudai Hockey Academy (Budapest), 2017–18
Slovenia
- HDK Maribor (Maribor), 2011–2015
- HK Celje (Celje), 2009–2011
- HK Triglav (Kranj), 2008–2014
- Slovenia Select (Ljubljana), 2022–23
- SpG Triglav/Olimpija, 2015–16
Turkey
- Turkey women's national team, 2011–12
Championship record edit
DEBL Champions by season edit
DEBL II edit
In 2004, due to the increasing number of teams, a second division titled DEBL II was created. There was no match play in this league in the 2007–08 and 2008–09 seasons.
The team that finishes at the bottom of the DEBL league table at the end of the season meets the top team of the DEBL II over a best-of-three series. The winner of that contest then plays in the DEBL during the next season, while the loser is relegated to the second DEBL.[4]
- Teams for 2017–18 season
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2004-05 | Kundl Crocodiles |
| 2005-06 | EHV Sabres II |
| 2006-07 | Ravens Salzburg II |
| 2007-09 | not contested |
| 2009-10 | FTC Eagles Budapest
|
| 2010-11 | EC "Die Adler" Kitzbühel |
| 2011-12 | Neuberg Highlanders II |
| 2012-13 | DEC Devils Graz |
| 2013-14 | SPG Kitzbühel/Salzburg |
| 2014-15 | SPG Kitzbühel/Salzburg |
| 2015-16 | HDK Maribor
|
| 2016-17 | Red Angels Innsbruck |
See also edit
References edit
This article incorporates information from the existing French Wikipedia article at fr:Championnat d'Autriche féminin de hockey sur glace and the existing German Wikipedia article at de:Dameneishockey-Bundesliga.
- ^ IIHF, http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/countries/austria.html
- ^ Life the Dream, Kiira Dosdall and the Vienna Sabres Capture Gold, http://www.womenshockeylife.com/blogs_view_dsp.cfm?BlogId=266&CatId=6 Archived 2012-03-12 at the Wayback Machine , April 12, 2011.
- ^ (in German) "Staatsmeisterschaft – Austragungsmodus" Archived March 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (description of championship format), ÖEHV Women"s Ice Hockey website
- ^ (in German) "DEBL II – Austragungsmodus" Archived March 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (description of 2nd league format), ÖEHV Women"s Ice Hockey website
External links edit
- Official website
(in German) - (in German) Women's ice hockey page on ÖEHV website
- (in German) Austria women's ice hockey on www.eishockey.org
- (in German) EWHL website
- (in French) Austria women's ice hockey pages in hockey365